The closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here on Thursday will be a crispier affair than the elaborate opening ceremony held on October 3.
Sources told The Hindu that besides the sports protocol the entertainment segment has been designed to showcase India's rich cultural heritage and the depth it enjoys in fields such as dances and martial arts.
The entertainment part of the evening has been divided into six segments, the highlight being a display of martial arts with artistes drawn from various parts of the country. The martial arts show has been labelled Agni (fire).
The organisers are hopeful that the packed house and television viewers will enjoy the 45-minute programme involving a little over 7,000 artistes.
Noted singer Shankar Mahadevan will sing the theme song of the Games at the ceremony. The programme has been shaped by the trio of Shyam Benegal, Bharat Bala and Prasoon Joshi. A laser show will also be part of the show.
The evening will end with school children rendering the Vande Mataram, India's National song.
The athletes will join the dancers, exhibiting the same spirit of camaraderie seen at the competition venues.
The ceremony will also witness a presentation by the host of the next Commonwealth Games to be held in Glasgow in 2014. A team of 420 artistes are said to be in their final preparations to lure the crowd with a presentation that is likely to feature a medley of Scottish culture.
This would come about after the CGF flag is officially handed over to the Mayor of Glasgow by the CGF president, Michael Fennell.
The aerostat, which had to be pulled down for conduct of the athletic events, will be reinstalled at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium by Thursday morning.
